Hollywood Park: Turf, two turns suit Sunburn

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – An encouraging effort in her first two-turn race looks as though it has set up Sunburn to break through her first allowance condition in Friday’s featured seventh race at Hollywood Park.

After five sprints, Sunburn stretched out around two turns on Nov. 6 at Santa Anita and finished second in a one-mile grass race behind Secret Code, who came out of that race to win again. All that bodes well for Sunburn on Friday, when she returns in the same allowance condition for California-breds, this time going 1 1/16 miles on Hollywood Park’s turf course.

“I was really happy with the way she ran last time,” said Sean McCarthy, who trains Sunburn, a filly by In Excess, for her owner and breeder, John Harris. “She’s a big, galloping horse, one-paced. She gets into the race, and she gets into stride.”

Sunburn was ridden in her first five starts by the now-sidelined Patrick Valenzuela, whom McCarthy credits with giving him the push to send Sunburn long.

“Patrick thought it would be a good idea to stretch her out,” McCarthy said.

Sunburn has run well on turf, Polytrack, and Cushion Track. McCarthy suspects grass might be her best surface.

“She trains well on dirt, but I wasn’t afraid to try her on the turf,” McCarthy said. “She’s got some grass tendencies. For one, her feet. And her style – she has low action. Little things like that.”

Sunburn drew the outside post in a field of seven in the $48,000 race. Rafael Bejarano, aboard for her most-recent start, has the mount.

Taxi Ride and California Heat also exit the Nov. 6 race. Taxi Ride ran evenly to finish fourth that day, while California Heat was fifth after encountering a bit of traffic at midstretch.

Both Meltarib and Evasive Charmer are dropping back into more realistic spots after being overmatched last time in the California Cup Distaff, which was won by the highly regarded Unzip Me. Meltarib finished seventh of 11. Prior to that, though, she was third at this exact same condition in a one-mile grass race at Del Mar.

Evasive Charmer faded to finish last of 11 after being caught wide behind a scalding pace. That was the first time she had finished out of the money, and her lone try around two turns resulted in a victory against maidens at Del Mar. She looks well-spotted here.

Mo Cheese has been running in claiming races, but against open company, so she fits well against these Cal-breds.